Agreement Reached on Direct Flights from Yerevan to Isfahan and Yerevan to Kish, Says Mohammad Eslami

According to Mohammad Eslami, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always maintained a close watch on its relations with neighboring countries, particularly emphasizing its ties with the Republic of Armenia, which has a long-standing and stable historical relationship. As reported by Armenpress, Eslami noted, "The trade volume between Iran and Armenia was $400 million in 2020. Of course, this was during the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, when the trade volume between many countries was lower. In the first months of 2021, we are already witnessing growth. The will of both sides speaks to the fact that the trade volume should be boosted to $1 billion. And this goal is realistic. Iran, which is currently Armenia's fourth largest trade partner, will find itself in a higher position if this trend continues."

Eslami, who is the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, presented several projects that can contribute to the development of trade relations between the two countries. The first, according to the minister, is Iran's participation in construction, especially in infrastructure development projects, which can, in turn, promote the development of the industrial sector and the creation of joint productions, attracting investors from both countries to joint projects.

Speaking about the Iranian side's interest in participating in the construction of southern sections of the "North-South" road, the minister mentioned, "There are two significant key projects in the construction sector that are on the agenda of the Armenian government. One of the projects pertains to road construction—the Artashat-Meghri road, which should be implemented in several phases. The Sissian-Kajaran and Kajaran-Meghri road sections, covering a total of 92 kilometers, require urgent solutions. Iranian companies are willing to participate in these projects. We need to create a consortium of top Iranian companies. These companies will be involved in both project design and financing, as well as implementation."

According to the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, a key issue in the development of Armenian-Iranian relations is the project of the "Persian Gulf-Black Sea" international transport corridor, which is to pass through Armenian territory. This, according to the minister, has already been agreed upon with the Armenian side.

"During this visit, we had constructive discussions where Armenian and Iranian freight vehicles will be able to enter each other's countries deep into the interior and mutually reduce road tolls to encourage freight companies interested in making transit shipments," the minister stated.

Discussing cooperation in the field of passenger transportation, Mohammad Eslami announced that a general agreement has been reached with the Armenian side to implement direct flights from Yerevan to Isfahan and Yerevan to Kish. "In fact, discussing these key issues demonstrates the Islamic Republic of Iran's serious commitment to developing bilateral relations and elevating them to a higher level. I hope that the Armenian government will be able to create conditions so that we can implement these projects," concluded Mohammad Eslami.